Silo construction



De@ 1s, 1941. F J VAN -TT Em 2,266,102

' SILO CONSTRUCTION Filed 0G11. l0, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY` De@ '16 1941- F; .LVVAN G01-T3151.- AL 2,266,102

sILo CONSTRUCTION f Y' Filed oct. 1o, 193s 'a' shams-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1941 SIL() CONSTRUCTION Frank J. Van Cott and Leon J. Van Cott, Unadilla, N. Y.

Application October 10, 1938, Serial No. 234,334

2 Claims.

An object of our invention is to provide a silo structure having improved features of construction which are simple and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and also easily installed when the silo is assembled.

A further object is to provide a silo structure having an improved door lug provided with means to prevent it from rotating on the silo wall or from pulling loose from its position when strains are placed on the hoops and door rods of thesilo.

A further object is to provide a door lug having a flange spaced from the inner edge of the door opening and imbedded in the silo wall in such manner that it is effective to prevent the door opening from decreasing in width as a result of exceptionally great strain applied to the hoops that extend from one door lug around the staves lto the other door lug, such strain being a result of swelling of the staves.

Another object is to provide a base anchor for the silo structure which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured from strap iron, yet which is quite eective especially in conjunction with staves which are doweled together, to anchor the entire system of staves to the foundation for the silo structure. ,f

Another object is to provide the base anchor in the form of a strap having its ends bolted to a plurality of staves and its central portion twisted to assume a position at substantially right angles to the silo wall, this portion being perforated whereby a tie rod extending up from the foundation may pass through the perforation of the strap and thereby the silo wall may be anchored to the foundation by a draw nut on the upper end of the tie rod and engaging against the central portion of the strap. Y

A further object is to provide the base anchor system of such character that the tie rods can be located substantially spaced from the finished wall of the silo, thus permitting initial positioning of the silo wall at a greater diameter than its finished diameter without interference by the tie rod, the rod however being effective after the base anchor strap has been installed to rigidly connect the silo with its foundation.

A further object is to provide a doweling system for a silo structure which utilizes spikes as the doweling means, there being guide bores in the staves of the silo wall which extend from the outer surface of the staves to their side edges, the spikes being passed through the guide bores and then driven into the edges of the adjacent staves whereby to rigidly hold the staves assembled against longitudinal movement relative to each other.

Still a further object is to provide means to prevent the spikes from passing to the inner surface of the silo wall which consists in the use of side pointed nails or nails having off-center points, the points being located (when the spikes are driven into position) so that they7 will cause the driven portions of the nailsto curve in their path of travel through the adjacent staves with the curvature being away from the inner surfaces of the staves.

Another object is to provide the guide bores on a slight incline relative to the horizontal so that any Water getting into them will drain outwardly to the outer surface of the silo wall.

Still another object is to provide in connection with a silo structure a tank lug for the hoop rods thereof which can be inexpensively manufactured but has an extension means to prevent bending of the hoop rods adja-cent the ends of the tank lugs without the necessity of making `the bores for theV hoop rods in the body of the tank lugs excessively long. p

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of our silo structure, whereby the objects contemplated, and others as well, are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a silo structure embodying our invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of one c of the door lugs of our silo structure showing its coaction with adjacent parts of the structure.`

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. v Y Figure l is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 1 showing a base anchor' of our silo structure.

Figure 6 is an enlarged front elevation of one of the tank lugs of our silo structure.

Figure '7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Figure 6. 1

Figure 8 is an end elevation of the right hand end of Figure 6. Y

Figure 9 is'an enlarged front elevation'of two adjacent staves of our silo structure illustrating the doweling system which we use; and

- Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional View on the line lll- I0 of Figure 9, Y Y Y Extending around the silo S are hoop rods SI and a door rod IS. These are connected together by tank lugs T and door lugs D. The door vlugs D are castings or the like having short perforated bosses Il for receiving the ends of hoop rods I5 and elongated bossesISfor receiving theVV ends of the door rods I6. The tank lugs'T'have elongated bosses I9 and 20 for receiving the;ends of the hoop rods I5. Draw nuts 2l and 22 on the door-rods and hoop rods respectively engagethe ends of the bosses I8, I1, I9 and 2l) Yto draw -the hoop assembly tight around the staves'of the silo.

The door lugs D are secured to the door jamb members I2 by bolts 23 and to the adjacent vstaves I0 by short nails 24.

Heretofore door lugs of the general character thus far described have been used but when there is suicent swelling of the staves II) to entirely take up the space within the silo hoops,

the exceptionally great strain applied to the hoops that extend from one door lug D around the staves to the other door lug D, tends to draw Von rthe bolts 23 vand the nails 2li and move the door jamb elements I2 relative `to the door lugs D in a direction toward eachother, thus decreasing the distance between the door janibs. This so tightensthedoor I3 that it is extremely diiiicult to loosen it when desired. This excessive pull also-tends to break the door lugs D.

Our present improvementresides inthe formation-of a flange 25, see Figures 2, 3 and 4,on the back of the door lug D. This flange is vertically arranged and adapted to be imbedded into the surface ofthe silo wall. Preferably-it is countersunk in the outer edge of the door jamb member I2, which edge is notched at 2E for thispurpose.

The flange 25 being mounted in this position is -away from the door opening so as to make a vsmooth unobstructed edge for the door I3 as shown in Figure 3 so that'the door will t tightly throughout its entire height. Also the flange is removed from any position of contact with the juices of the ensilage. By being imbedded in the wood of the wall, the ange reduces'the tendency `of the front lug to twist to a minimum and the iiange serves as reinforcing means against breakage of the lug due to strains thereon. Imbedding of the fiange in the silo wall also increases the amount of surface against the wood of the wall to'counteract the pull on the hoops.

Considering the operation of the flange `25, it will be obvious that any swelling of the staves I0 is counteracted by the two staves adjacent the door jamb members I2 pressing their edges against the outer faces of the flanges. Thus the flanges serve as a much more effective means to prevent movement of the door jamb members I2 toward each other than the mere Ause of the bolts 23 andthe nails 24 as heretofore used. Since the ange 25 prevents twisting of the lug, the trouble heretoforefexperienced of the hoops bending short at the ends of thejlugs when'tightening them, has been eliminated and the conseeventually assume.

quent tendency of the door lug to break has likewise been eliminated.

In connection with the mounting of silo structures on their foundations, trouble has been experienced heretofore in providing an economical yet effective base anchor system. In our construction the staves I0 are doweled together by the spikes I4 and this prevents longitudinal movement of the staves relative to each other. Therefore in order to effectively anchor the entire silo wall on its foundation F, it is only 'necessary to connect with several staves of the silo wall at horizontally spaced points.

4Our base anchor system includes straps 26 and tie rods 21. Each strap 26 has its ends against the silo wall and connected with a plurality of the staves I0 thereof by bolts 28. The central portion of the strap 26 is indicated at 29. This portion is twisted so that it lies in a plane at substantially right angles to the surface of the silo wall and is perforated as indicated at 30.

vIt receives a threaded upper end of the tie rod 21 and-a vdraw nut 3| is threaded on the rod.

A washer 32 interposed between the nut-andthe central portion 29 of the strap serves as a reinforcing means for the perforated central portion when the nut is tightened. The lower end `of each tie rod is imbedded in the foundation Fas shown in section at the right hand side of Figure 1.

It will be noted that the lower end of the tie rod is spaced further from'the silo wall thanthe perforation 30 in theportion 29 ofthe strap '26. This is because when laying the foundation F, thetie rods 2l are imbedded therein and in order that they do not interfere with theerectioncf the silo wall, they are'spaced`as"illustrated'be cause the staves when being'assembled are placed two to four inches outside the circle they are to Finally the hoops are put around them and the Ystaves 'are vtightened Yto their nal position, whereupon lthe tie rods V21 may be bent inwardly to properly coact Ywith the 'base anchor straps 26 in the positions `theyas- -an exact positionand can be readily ybent'after the silo wall is set up to proper rposition hfor-c0- acting with the anchor'straps 26 to draw'th'efsilo against its foundation and thereby anchor Iit'fin position. I

For the dowels or spikes I4, we vprovideguide bores`33. The guide bores 33 extend fromapoint at theouter surfaceof Vthe stave (the .rightvhand surface in Figure 10) Vtothe edge Yof l'the,stav e;

In Figure 10 the guide bore `is shdwn in solid lines in the lower stave andthe ,spike in this bore has been driven to fits'iinal positionwith-the head Ma thereof enlarging the outer Vend-of :the guide bore .33 as at- 34. During such driving of the spike, it forms its ,own opening v. 3'5 inthe adjacent or -llpper stave. `The spikes .I4 are of special side-pointed type .or the 1 ;y1: e` having off -center points. The,pointsareillustrated at '36 in Figure 10 and lit will be `notedthat the offset ofthe Ap oint is toward thejouterA surface of the silo wall. This causes the bore 35 to `lhave Va curvature produced by the drivingfof the -sidepointed nail into position. Thel off-center 'point of course is properly locatedfby the silo'assei'nbler so that the curvature is outward and thusjwe eliminate vthe possibility of the spike A'following the grain and coming out on the -inner surface aaeaioa of the wall where it might split the stave and be exposed on the inner surface of the silo wall to the ensilage juices which would cause rusting of the nail. Also the possibility of roughening the inner surface of the silo wall is eliminated which would result in improper settling of the ensilage. A further improved feature of our doweling system is the formation of the guide bores 33 so that they slope downwardly from their inner ends to the outer surface of the silo wall as shown in Figure 9. This prevents water from getting in and drains out any that does get into the bores and thus eliminates the possibility of water remaining in the bores and rotting the staves. The curvature which the spikes I4 assume when driven into position prevents any pulling apart or slippage between the edges of the silo staves II). The curvature of the spike also greatly resists any pulling of the nail from position when compared with the ordinary center-pointed spike.

Our tank lug T has its elongated bosses I9 and 2U bored 'at an incline relative to each other as shown in Figure 7 to receive straight ends of the hoop rods i5. The intermediate portions of the rods of course are curved to t the surface of the silo wall. In order` to make the lug T economically a minimum of metal must be used in its construction. If the bosses I9 and 20 are made too short, however, there is a tendency for the lug to twist instead of having a straight lpull on the rods I5 when the nuts 22 are tightened.

To counteract this tendency without making the bosses I9 and 20 longer, we form an extension 3'I on one end of the boss I9 and a similar extension 38 on one end of the boss 2U. These extensions contact, as shown by the extension 38 in Figures 7 and 8, with a portion of the hoop rod Where there is a tendency to bend the rod when the nut 22 is tightened. The extensions 3 'I and 38 are accordingly diagonally arranged in Figure 6 as the points indicated at 48 are the bending points of the rods upon tightening thereof. Thus, by the simple expedient of making extensions only at advantageous points, we secure the benefit of longer bosses I9 and 28 without the necessity of using as much metal as would be necessary to make them longer. pull on the hoop rods with a reduction in the tendency of the tank lugs to twist and the rods Our construction results in a straighter I to bend and thus become diflicult to properly tighten.

The constructional features herein described all contribute to making a silo structure which is economical to-manufacture and assemble, yet one which is eicient for the purposes of storing ensilage and which will last longer than the usual types due to the improved constructional features.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of our silo structure without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention. We therefore intend to cover by our appended claims such modied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents as may be reasonably included within their scope.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a silo structure, a wall circular in cross section comprising a plurality of staves having substantially iiat outer surfaces and edges adapted to engage one with another, each said stave having two sets of guide openings, one of said sets comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings extending from the outer surface in an oblique inwardly and upwardly direction through the edge at one side thereof, the othel` of said sets comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings alternating with the openings of said first set and extending in an oblique inwardly and upwardly direction through the edge at the other side thereof, and dowels in said openings extending respectively into the edges of adjacent staves on both sides of each sai-d stave.

2. In a silo structure, a wall circular in cross section comprising individual staves having substantially flat outer surfaces and' edges adapted to engage one with another, a plurality of said staves each having two sets of guide openings, one of said sets comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings extending from the outer surface in an oblique inward direction upward through the edge at one side thereof, the other of said sets comprising a plurality of space-d apart openings extending in an oblique inward direction upward through the edge at the other side thereof, and dowels in said openings extending respectively directly into the edges of Yadjacent staves on both 'sides of each of said plurality of staves.

FRANK J. VAN COTT. LEON J. VAN COIIT. 

